Ireland to hold referendum on abortion law next year

By

Sam Howard

Demonstrators gather and hold banners to protest for the repeal of the eighth amendment to the Irish Constitution in Brussels on September 24, 2016. Ireland's prime minister announced Tuesday that the nation will hold a referendum on the abortion law next year. File Photo by Stephanie Lecocq/EPA

Sept. 26 (UPI) -- A referendum in Ireland next year could put an end to one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws.

In an announcement to Irish Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told lawmakers there will be a national vote in May or June to decide whether Ireland should repeal a near-universal ban on abortion, Britain's The Guardian reported.

Ireland's abortion law, the eighth amendment to the country's Constitution, guarantees citizenship status to any fetus in early pregnancy. Women can spend up to 14 years in prison if they have an illegal abortion in Ireland, but can undergo the procedure elsewhere in Europe.

The Irish Independent reported that a committee in the nation's Parliament will produce a report on the abortion law before the referendum's wording is established.